Homecoming
by Deandra
Summary: Eomer’s return from battle isn’t received as he expects. Fluffy little ONESHOT. Part 33 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


**_Part 33 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes._**

_A/N: Ah, Rohan! So good to be home. I've got plenty of ideas but wasn't feeling very motivated to write anything. Then I got stuck on switchboard duty today and finally typed up this one that's been floating about in my mind for awhile yet. _

_In case you're wondering, I have read Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince already – had it read by the Monday after it came out. Took quite a few unexpected twists and turns. It will be very interesting to see how JKR concludes this. Anyway, ever since I finished the book, I've been feeling kind of in limbo between HP and LOTR and wasn't feeling too inspired to write but wanting to write, ya know? Maybe this will kick-start me going on all the ideas I have plus continuing on the ones I've already begun partially. _

_If you're totally bored, I set up a Xanga site so I could sound off on stuff that no one around me wants to listen to. You can find it by going to my bio page and clicking on the homepage link. I named it Mindless Drivel, since that's about what it amounts to… _

_Some replies to recent reviews are at the bottom. _

**Homecoming **

**(Oct, 3020 III)**

Eomer wearily made his way down the hall toward his bedchamber. He knew he probably should have stopped another night on the road, but he was impatient to be home and back with his bride. It had been a cruel, but necessary, separation – Aragorn had sought Rohan's aid in dealing with orc raids and Haradrim harassment of the outer-lying settlements. He had not wanted to pull Eomer from his new wife so soon after their wedding, but it had been unavoidable. Gondor's resources were stretched thin because of all the men they had lost in the War of the Ring. He had hoped a strong show of force from the combined military of the two countries would discourage further uprisings, and the lands could begin to settle into the new-found peace.

Although it was nearly midnight, he hoped Lothiriel would not mind being awakened long enough to let her know he had returned safely, and to feel her in his arms once more. Neither he nor Aragorn had anticipated his time away to take some two months, including travel, and he was anxious to be with her again.

He opened the door to their room quietly. If she was sleeping, he would try not to disturb her too much. They could greet each other properly in the morning, but she would want to know he was here. To his surprise, by the light of several lit candles, he found she was standing by the bed, and she turned at the sound of the door with an expression on her face of…revulsion?

For a moment, he was too stunned by her look to speak, and then she quickly turned from him, sitting down heavily on the side of the bed and reaching for a nearby bucket. Miserably, she began heaving into the bucket, and with alarm he dashed to her side, rubbing her back soothingly. When the purging subsided, she rinsed her mouth with water from a goblet, took a few sips of the water and then lay down, turning on her side away from him.

Eomer's insides were tied in knots. This was hardly the reception he had envisioned all those lonely nights on the road home. "Thiri? Rest easy. I will send for a Healer."

He stood, but before he could move away, she murmured so low he had to strain to hear, "There is no need. The Healer has seen me and can do nothing for me."

Now he was alarmed. "What do you mean? What is the matter with you?" he asked, sitting by her side again.

"I carry your child," she said dully.

For a long moment he just sat staring at the side of her head. _Carried his child? Should not that be a cause for joy_? But there was no evidence of joy in her voice, any more than there had been in her expression earlier. _Had something happened during these two months he was gone? Was she regretting marrying someone who would abandon her a mere four months after their wedding, leaving her with child and ill?_

Slowly he stood and began to undress, largely unaware he was doing so. He washed and then climbed into bed, but as he did so, she turned over and again was facing away from him. His heart ached and he longed to pull her close and kiss her, but there was nothing to suggest she would welcome his attention. With a heavy sigh, he settled down to sleep, but it did not prove as restful as he had anticipated.

The next morning, Lothiriel was still sleeping when he woke, and he made sure not to waken her as he rose and dressed. He found her maidservant, Miren, and inquired about his wife's condition. From what she told him, Lothiriel must have become with child almost exactly at the time he left. She had been taken with morning sickness nearly a month ago, and suffered wretchedly with it ever since. Although Miren assured him it would pass and she would be herself again, it gave him no consolation after seeing the misery he had brought upon her. Little wonder she was not pleased to see him.

He dragged through the day, meeting with Gamling and his advisers to catch up on affairs of the kingdom in his absence, but his heart and mind would not let Thiri drift far from his thoughts. As far as he knew, she never left her bed all day nor joined him at any meals.

Finally, after a long and tiring session going over paperwork and signing documents, he made his way to their bedchamber. She appeared to be sleeping, so he made no move to disturb her. Lethargically, he undressed and slipped into bed, next to a wife who was so near yet might as well have been a thousand leagues away. He studied her face, relaxed in sleep, but still showing signs of distress from her illness the past month. He longed to stroke her face and offer her comfort, but she had shown no inclination to receive his touch, and at length he sighed and rolled over.

The next few days dragged on much the same. Gamling and his advisers had congratulated him on his wife being with child, and it seemed to be known around Meduseld already. Though he thanked them and smiled as expected, he could not find joy in this event with the toll it was taking on his wife and the distance it had put between them.

Yet again, he retired to bed late, probably later than he would have under other circumstances. But since it was clear his wife did not welcome him there, and it pained him to have it so, he postponed sleep as long as possible. Settling under the covers, he could not help but sweep a loving glance over her before turning on his side away from her.

He had barely drifted off, when he was startled awake by someone kissing his neck. In surprise he rolled toward her and she smiled lovingly at him. "Welcome home, beloved!" she whispered.

Eomer was so unprepared for this sudden affection that he merely stared at her in bewilderment. Noticing his expression, she pulled herself closer and looked down into his face questioningly, stroking his cheek with a single finger. "Is something the matter, my love?" she inquired.

"You…you are pleased to see me?" he asked uncertainly.

With a laugh, she kissed him and murmured against his lips, "Of course I am pleased to see you! Why would you think I was not?"

Still confused, he shrugged and admitted, "The past few days you have…" He let the sentence trail off, unsure how to explain it to her and not clear why she didn't already know the reason.

But understanding dawned in her eyes, and she smiled down at him, "The past few days, even weeks, I have been as sick as a dog that has eaten bad meat! I was not feeling very sociable toward anyone! Your child has been most cruel to his mother!"

He finally allowed himself to relax in her embrace and slipped his arms around her, drawing her into another kiss. When they broke apart, he teased, "MY child, is it? It was not created by me alone, if you will recall – you were an enthusiastic participant! And how can you be certain it is a 'he'?"

She laughed and laid down on his chest, resting her chin on her arm, "I concede the 'enthusiastic participant' part. As for the 'he', the Healer sent a midwife to visit me who has been delivering children for a great many years. It is her considered opinion that I carry a son."

He deftly rolled her off of him and leaned over her from the side. One hand slid down to rub gently over her stomach. "A son." His grin deepened and he became lost in reverie, a tear beginning to form in his eye. Leaning down he embraced her again, and murmured softly into her ear, "Thank you, dearest. Thank you for going through this misery to give me a son. I wish you did not have to suffer so."

She stroked his head gently and replied, "It is a natural part of the process, I am afraid, and must be endured. But I am feeling better now. The midwife said it might pass in five or six weeks and it seems to be doing so. This is the first I have felt somewhat well in a long time. I am glad I got most of the illness out of the way while you were away. Now we may merely enjoy the prospect of becoming parents." She kissed his head and pulled him closer.

There was little sleeping done that night in the royal bedchamber, for they talked long into the night about this great change that was about to come into their life. And Lothiriel made certain her husband was in no doubt that she was pleased to have him home again.

THE END

7-21-05

Replies to recent reviewers:

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur – I think I'm back from Hogwarts for awhile. You can send the link for you HP music video, but I can only get the 'video' part – my home computer speaker doesn't work for some reason that I can't figure out and I can't really play it at work!

Blue Eyes At Night – Actually, I'm not feeling very inspired to do HP one-shots. Sorry! I just seem to view that universe as much more 'epic story oriented', and I guess in mimicking JKR, I tend to write one year sagas. So _probably_ you won't see much more HP unless I get bored and come up with a good idea for Book 7 while we wait for it to really come out.

shie1dmaidenofrohan – thanks for the kind words. Our storylines are so different that I wasn't worried about 'copying' Sache's work, other than the idea of Eomer going to Theodred's burial site with Lothiriel, and I thought it would make an interesting story coming from a different starting place and reason for being there. Oddly enough, in case you noticed, I think I inadvertently copied sort of the final line "Let's go home", though I moved it from Lothiriel to Eomer. I don't know if I just subconsciously remembered that line or what, but it just seemed to fit.

Jazzcat – a dilemma for Lothiriel? Interesting idea, but I have to think up something. I actually sort of have an idea for one but it will come up in a separate story, if I ever get it written.

LadyArian – thanks for all the reviews. Glad you are liking the stories!

Tracey – "…could Theodwyn possibly be a daddy's girl?" – hadn't really intended that, necessarily, but it is a possibility. I haven't yet really explored much what Eomer's relationship is with the other children. Guess we'll see what pops out of my fingers when I write more stories! At this point (in Handful), it was mostly intended to show Eomer having to deal his daughter on his own and being totally unprepared for it. Usually he only sees her in the company of her mother, who has her well in hand and behaving, and most of his experience with children has been Elfwine who was a much calmer, easier child to deal with. He just isn't prepared for this dynamic little spirit who wants her own way, especially during the Terrible Twos!

Elwen of Lorien – Eomer _was_ scolding Theodwyn in Handful – she just wasn't paying any attention to him! This is really the first time he's ever been in a position to have to discipline her and she doesn't yet recognize his authority like she does her mother (though she gives Thiri fits, too, sometimes).

**_End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content. _**


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